Moonshrimp Brewing Saison #1

Moonshrimp Brewing’s Seasonal Saison

Single Batch Release #1

Moonshrimp Brewing’s seasonal release of their single-batch Saison happened to be underway the last time I was traveling through Portland, Oregon. (Lucky me!) I got to pick a half a dozen of them up straight from the brewery, which was an incredibly fun visit.

The Saison is a very versatile ale in terms of style. It is often a product of its environment, and this one is no exception. Moonshrimp fermented this brew with T-58 yeast seeking complexity and depth in their flavor profile.

For more about the history and farm-based creation of the Saison style, check out our review of the 7th Ave. Saison.

The Taste Test

This Saison pours a beautiful mostly clear light orange with a perfect head. Ten minutes later (the time it took me to get this review rolling), there is still a thin head fully covering the beer. Well done Moonshrimp!

The ale carries a soft and sweet scent.

The carbonation is mild and pleasant. The body is light and the flavor mildly sweet and crisp. I like this Saison!

This Saison is brewed with vegan ingredients (like all Moonshrimp beers) and includes homegrown aged hops! Hmm…what does that mean exactly? I reached out to Daniel of Moonshrimp Brewing to ask him more about this ingredient…

He explained that he grows the hops himself at his home in Portland. They are completely organic and he lovingly refers to them as “his babies”. He harvests them, dries them in small batches, and then freezes them in the dark (to prevent light from degrading the flavor) for TWO YEARS of aging!

Daniel ages the hops to decrease bitterness and increase the complexity of their character. I absolutely love the care and attention put into this brew. And I think you will too. :)

If you’d like to know more about Moonshrimp’s operating standards, read on…

From Moonshrimp Brewing’s website:

Truly Gluten free and Vegan…Always. What do we mean when we say gluten free and vegan?

No wheat, barley, malt, or other gluten source anywhere in the brewery property, ever.

No oats or oat products regardless of certifications or source.

All brand new equipment to eliminate the possibility of residual gluten.

No geletain or isenglass used to clarify the beer.

No honey.

All verified beet sugar (cane sugar is objectionable to some vegans due to the way it is processed).